ANACONDA, Mont. – Officials with the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center reported that an investigation has been launched into a shooting that occurred Saturday evening on East Third Street.
Month: June 2026
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The former Parkway Panthers and LSU Tigers star partnered with Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation to host the camp at Lee Hedges Stadium.
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World Cup fuels ticketing reform demands
Demands are growing for a political reckoning over ticket scams at the World Cup — and beyond.
The National Independent Venue Association and Fan Alliance, organizations representing and advocating for entertainment venues and artists respectively, sent a joint letter to Congress on Thursday, calling on lawmakers to ban speculative and ghost tickets, cases where resellers flog tickets they don’t actually have.
The letter — addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer — includes nearly two dozen accounts of fans who say they were scammed out of thousands of dollars trying to get tickets to the World Cup, which began last week. The groups are also asking fans to share their own stories with elected officials via the Fix the Tix Fan Action Center that launched last week.
“Every one of these stories erodes the public’s faith that consumers should and will be protected from fraud,” NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker and Fan Alliance founder Donald Cohen wrote. “We urge Congress to work with us to prevent fraud like this in the future and finally enact ticket resale consumer protections that will protect Americans and ensure affordability.”
The letter flagged fans like Dacy Gillespie, who bought World Cup tickets for her sons on Christmas, only to learn on match day — months later — that the seller couldn’t deliver them. And Skylie Shore, who Parker and Cohen said spent well over $6,000 on tickets to the Scotland-Haiti match on June 13, but was forced to wait outside the stadium because she couldn’t access them as fans marched in on gameday.
“These examples reveal a consistent pattern: consumer deception, speculative ticket sales, and broken-hearted American families at the hands of resale ticketing companies like StubHub,” Parker and Cohen wrote.
In a statement, StubHub spokesperson Jack Sterne said that the platform does not allow speculative ticket sales, and blamed FIFA for users’ difficulty in accessing their tickets.
“We understand that attending the World Cup represents a significant investment in time and money, and we take our responsibility to every fan who books through our platform seriously,” Sterne said in a statement. “Many of the issues fans are facing trace back to the event organizer’s technology infrastructure, newly announced transfer restrictions, and a new app that was launched just a month ago.”
In response, FIFA said in a statement that the organization “can guarantee the validity and delivery of tickets purchased through its official platforms” and that FIFA.com/tickets “is the official ticket sales channel” for the tournament.
NIVA and Fan Alliance are urging congressional leadership to place universal price-gouging limits on ticket resale, enact stringent fines on perpetrators and a violation-reporting mechanism for ticket scams, and require secondary ticketing platforms to produce data on ticket fulfillment and consumer complaints.
The groups are not the only ones monitoring for evidence of shady ticket practices. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued a consumer guidance in advance of the tournament, urging match-goers to beware of fraud and promising to hold offenders accountable. And the FBI in May put out a public service announcement, warning fans against purchasing tickets on copycat websites modeled on FIFA’s.
“With the World Cup coming to Kansas City, excitement is high and, unfortunately, so is the potential for fraud,” Hanaway said in her statement. “Missourians should be able to enjoy this once-in-a-generation event without fear of being deceived. My office will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit our families, and we stand ready to assist anyone who encounters suspicious activity.”
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The Alaska House convened for a third special session and voted to reject a Senate version of a tax break bill for the proposed AK LNG gas line project on June 20, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska House of Representatives on Saturday rejected a Senate-drafted multibillion-dollar tax break for a proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project, as members of the House declined to abandon a different proposal they drafted.
Members of the House voted down the Senate’s revised bill 12-28, nine votes short of what was needed to adopt the Senate plan. In a separate 0-16 vote, the Senate declined to abandon its version in favor of the House’s plan. Lawmakers will now convene a conference committee with representatives from both bodies to hammer out a compromise agreement.
In an interview following the House vote, House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, said objections within the House varied, and lawmakers with the conference committee need time to evaluate the changes.
“Given the breadth and just the wide range of things that happened to House Bill 381 in the Senate last night, you know, we’re going to take that vehicle and use it as a starting point going forward, and we’re going to work very diligently and also with a strong sense of resolve to try to bring it all to an agreement,” Edgmon said.
Lawmakers agreed to reconvene for potential final votes on July 1.
While conference committees typically negotiate behind closed doors, Edgmon said there will be public meetings as well.
Lawmakers said negotiations would begin soon but there was no confirmed schedule for the conference committee.
From the House, the conference committee will include Edgmon, Reps. Calvin Schrage, I-Anchorage, and Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna. From the Senate, the committee includes Sens. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, and Mike Cronk, R-Tok.
At issue is the size and scope of a tax break for the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline project, known as Alaska LNG.
As currently proposed, the project would include construction of a 807-mile gas line from the North Slope to Cook Inlet, in phase one. In phase two, it would include a new large gas-treatment plant on the North Slope and an export facility on the Kenai Peninsula to export gas internationally.
The House passed the bill with a larger tax break on June 12. The Senate revised the bill, reducing the size of the tax break and passed a variety of changes on Friday, with a smaller tax break on the gas tax, known as the alternative volumetric gas tax, and a plan for gradual increases in tax over time.
Senators also included a variety of changes to the bill, including a previously contentious provision voted down by the House this spring to levy corporate income taxes on privately-owned oil and gas companies that currently do not pay them. That would apply to Hilcorp and Glenfarne, the company developing the LNG project.
The Senate also included amendments to the bill seeking more protections for the state and Alaskans: one an amendment would limit the gas price cap for residents in Southcentral Alaska to rise with inflation and prohibiting developers from passing on cost overruns to Alaskans; a labor-related proposal would require the pipeline builders to pay prevailing wages in the state and employ Alaskans and apprentices. An amendment would require Glenfarne and developers to disclose their ties to foreign companies. Another amendment declared that if pipeline developers abandon their efforts, the project will return to the state at no cost. Currently Glenfarne owns 75% of the project while the remaining 25% is held by the state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corp. Glenfarne could not seek a buyout from the state if it failed to move forward with the project.
The Senate imposed deadlines on the project, mandating construction of the pipeline and phase one to be completed no later than 2032, and phase two to be done no later than 2036.
Late Friday night, Gov. Mike Dunleavy voiced objections to the Senate’s version of the bill, saying there were “serious questions about all the amendments.”
Friday was the last day of a 30-day special session devoted to the gas pipeline project. Dunleavy has proclaimed another 30-day special session, which began Saturday, and legislators spent the morning taking procedural actions that allow them to resume work without interruption.
Dunleavy urged lawmakers to work quickly, but four senators were excused absent from Saturday’s votes, and members of the House rapidly left the Capitol on Saturday afternoon in order to catch flights home from Juneau.
Edgmon said he expects negotiations with the governor’s office to continue.
“If he’s not involved, and that’s going to make the pathway ahead problematic,” he said.
A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office said on Saturday that the governor supports the bill moving forward to a conference committee.
“Governor Dunleavy is encouraged by House and Senate leadership’s decision to send HB 381 to a conference committee,” said Jeff Turner, Dunleavy’s communications director, by email. “It’s an opportunity for both bodies to agree on a version of the bill that can incentivize the Alaska LNG Project while still providing steady, predictable revenue to communities along the pipeline corridor using a volumetric tax mechanism.”
The governor and members of the House were particularly opposed to the corporate income tax provision.
“It is considered economically counterproductive at the moment the state is trying to attract final investment decisions on phase one and phase two of the gas pipeline,” House Majority Leader Rep. Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, said on the House floor ahead of Saturday’s vote, adding that he believes the provision undercuts certainty and competitiveness of the project.
“These amendments were not vetted or extensively explained on the other body’s floor, and we do not yet know their full impact,” Kopp added.
But Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, who co-chairs the Senate Finance Committee said lawmakers still need more financial information from Glenfarne to determine if that’s the case, and to determine the project’s economic viability.
“They still haven’t clearly delineated how much benefit or burden the property tax existing structure actually is on it,” Stedman said after the Senate vote. “Even if we made no property tax on the gas line, it does not make it economic. It helps economics, it does not get it over the hurdle.”
“We gotta protect the treasury, that’s our job,” Stedman added. “If you’re going to give concessions, they need to show us why they need them, and the impact.”
If legislators do not adjourn early, the new special session is set to end on July 19.
James Brooks contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the new special session is set to adjourn on July 19, not July 20.
Under a clear Toronto sky in perfect weather conditions, Germany persevered and scored a stoppage time winner, coming from behind to win 2-1 against the Ivory Coast and sealing its place in the Round of 32. The hero? Deniz Undav, as the substitute, made all the difference with a tremendous brace. The four-time World Cup champion and eight-time finalist had a very difficult afternoon against a steel-minded African side, who opened the scoring first thanks to Franck Kessié due to some magic from Yan Diomande. But thanks to a great brace by the substitute Deniz Undav, whose instincts proved to be extremely important, Die Mannschaft made it to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014 – the last time the team won it all. It must be noted that it also now won its 11th straight match in all competitions. Here are my takeaways: 1. Nagelsmann’s Substitutes Paid Off Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, wearing an oversized black tee and looking like he had just came out of an underground art gallery in Williamsburg, made some key decisions in the second half that worked to perfection. Deniz Undav, who plays for Stuttgart, was the key as he replaced Jamal Musiala in the 60th minute and offered a more direct, poaching threat. His first goal came thanks to a cross from Nadiem Amiri’s cross, who also came in as a substitute. Against a strong defensive unit like the Ivory Coast, Nagelsmann knew that eventually, the depth of his squad would offer something different against the tired legs of their opponents, and he was right. 2. Flowers for Felix Nmecha Undav is having quite the tournament, with five goal contributions in less than an hour’s worth of World Cup action. But give some kudos to Borussia Dortmund man Felix Nmecha, who was the best player on the pitch today as he controlled the midfield like a young Michael Ballack. His ability to dribble through pressure and carry the ball is as impressive as his vision. It was his assist that fed Undav’s late winner. A fantastic evening from the 25-year-old star midfielder, who scored in the 7-1 drubbing of Curaçao last week. 3. Despite Loss, Ivory Coast’s Defense Is Strong Despite the loss, I was impressed with Emerse Faé’s tactics and how the Ivory Coast worked without the ball. Their four-man defensive line was in unison and made it hard for the Germans. If you didn’t know this already, this team’s metal-like defending is well known, as this national team qualified for the World Cup without losing a single match and conceded zero goals. It’s diappointing that it conceded the late goal, but there is still a lot more to come from Les Elephants as they still have a shot at second place. The team did get that tough win over Ecuador last week, so there is still all to play for. 4. Diomande Is The Real Deal It’s absolutely not surprising to me that the 19-year-old star – who plays his club football for RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga – is such a wanted man by many clubs, with Liverpool reportedly leading the race. It’s also not shocking to hear that Leipzig is demanding more than €100 million for his transfer. Diomande is a bolt of lightning, and similar to former Anfield star Luis Díaz in the sense that his ability to penetrate forward is so unpredictable. So again, I can see why Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool wants him so badly. Against Germany, in the first half, he was so good that Nagelsmann had to move Kimmich to the left fullback role until the break in order to see what he had to do to figure him out. It was Diomande’s cross that eventually ended with Kessié for the opener. In the second half, there was less time for him to operate as he now had two players that closed in on him, but once Diallo was substituted, Diomande moved to the right and became more of a threat again. He was quieter, but there is no doubt this is a star in the making. 4 ½. What’s Next Germany will win the group with a point in the last match against Ecuador on Thursday. Ivory Coast’s next match will be massive as it takes on Curaçao with the hope of sealing a spot in the knockout stages.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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Smallest team, biggest pitch
While Curaçao’s players were training for their match against in Ecuador, government officials from the World Cup’s smallest-ever competitor hosted a two-day conference in Kansas City to promote it as a destination for American investment.
The Caribbean island of around 158,000 people located just north of Venezuela is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is not quite a country, but since the sporting world is treating it like one this month, the government is hoping foreign investors will give it a fresh look.
“Curaçao is now on an international stage, while we never thought we would be there … we want more people to know about Curaçao and invest,” Roderick Middelhof, Curaçao’s minister of economic development, told POLITICO.
After the team qualified for a World Cup spot last November, Curaçao’s government quickly began discussing how the tournament could showcase the island’s economic potential.
“When we knew that we would be going to the World Cup, the government sat together and said, ‘OK, we need to take advantage of this moment,’” Middelhof said. “It was actually together with other ministers that we thought, ‘OK, let’s organize meetings and show people what Curaçao is now, and what Curaçao will be in a few years with expansion and investment.’”
The Kansas City conference is one of several in World Cup cities organized by the economic-development ministry in parnership with CINEX, an agency that seeks to promote investment opportunities in Curaçao.
The events target companies interested in sectors ranging from energy and logistics to hospitality.
“[We invite] all companies that are interested in our oil sector and also other companies that are interested in international investment, so hotel owners, energy companies. For example, we had TOTAL; Epson was also there at one of the meetings,” Middelhof said.
“At the events we do a presentation about what Curaçao is and what Curaçao has to offer … to put Curaçao in the spotlight … around the World Cup,” he added.
Diversifying the economy beyond tourism is a key objective for the government, according to Middelhof. While tourism remains one of the island’s main economic pillars, he sees significant potential in Curaçao’s deep-water harbor, which could serve as a storage and logistics hub for international cargo, including oil.
“Our port is now really expanding, so the port of Curaçao is ready to provide storage space for other countries; it’s not just about tourism,” he said, adding: “Curaçao now has the chance to not only rely on tourism, we can strive for more … and show Curaçao is open for various businesses.”
Middelhof does acknowledge that the World Cup presents an opportunity to boost and further “stabilize” his country’s tourism sector, particularly as authorities pursue a target of 1 million stay-over visitors annually. Most tourists currently come from the Netherlands, reflecting the countries’ historical ties. However, Curaçao is increasingly looking to broaden its visitor base.
The island is already seeing increased international interest following its World Cup qualification, said Middelhof, pointing to a rise in Google searches and social media engagement.
“Curaçao is, for a little while, on everyone’s mind,” he said.
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SEATTLE STADIUM — Tyler Adams didn’t hesitate. Standing in front of a gaggle of reporters in the bowels of this packed 69,000-seat arena that had just seen the U.S. men’s national team continue what is quickly becoming a glorious 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil — the USA’s 2-0 victory over Australia on a perfectly sunny afternoon marked the first time the Americans have won two straight World Cup games since 1930 — Adams was asked if he’d like play in Thursday’s first round finale vs. Türkiye, at risk of being suspended for the first knockout game should he pick up another yellow card. “I want to play every game, so yeah,” he said. “I managed [to avoid another caution] today, so hopefully I could do it again.” There’s no chance that will happen now. Though beating the Socceroos guaranteed the Stars and Stripes a spot in the knockout stage with a game to spare, Adams couldn’t know at the time the outcome of Friday’s nightcap between the Turks and Paraguay. That match would decide how much the Americans’ next contest even mattered. As it turned out, Paraguay’s 1-0 win clinched Group D for the U.S. regardless of the outcome on Thursday. That means U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino has the rare opportunity to rest his entire starting lineup before the round of 32 if he chooses. Had star attacker Christian Pulisic not been sidelined by a tight left calf in Seattle, Pochettino would’ve rolled out the exact same 11 players in the co-hosts’ first two games. This is the World Cup. Of course, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager wanted his best players on the field despite the possibility of injury, fatigue and yellow card accumulation. That last one could’ve been particularly vexing. Yellow cards are wiped after the Adams, striker Folarin Balogun, defender Chris Richards and fullback Antonee “Jedi” Robinson were all booked in the Americans’ first two outings. Getting a second group-stage yellow card on Thursday would see them suspended for the Americans’ first elimination match, on July 1 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. Accumulated yellow cards are wiped clean after the group stage and after the quarterfinals — but suspensions are not. Even if Pochettino doesn’t admit it when he meets the media on the eve of the next game, it’s now essentially 100 percent guaranteed that he won’t play Adams, Balogun, Richards or Jedi against Türkiye. He can’t. With yellows wiped clean at the conclusion of group play, it’s the only way to ensure that they’re all available for the knockout-round opener. Make no mistake: That game is now everything. Though the vibes in the team and the public right now are “over the roof,” to quote defender Alex Freeman, failing the first do-or-die test would immediately turn this World Cup into a disaster of epic proportions. Making sure that Pulisic can participate when it really counts must be a top priority. Same for Richards, who came into this tournament nursing an ankle injury. The big center back almost certainly wouldn’t have played even if he hadn’t seen yellow in Seattle. There’s also really no reason to use midfielder Weston McKennie, fullback Sergiño Dest, midfielder Malik Tillman or defender and 38-year-old captain Tim Ream in the next match. Keeping the starters as fresh as possible is paramount. So expect plenty of opportunities for others. Premier League starter Brenden Aaronson hasn’t logged a minute of this World Cup yet. Neither have fullback Max Arfsten, center back duo Mark McKenzie and Miles Robinson, midfielder Cristian Roldan, goalkeeper Matt Turner or winger Alex Zendejas. Most or even all of them should see some playing time on Thursday, either from the beginning or off the bench as substitutes. If Pochettino wants some continuity, maybe he sticks with goalkeeper Matt Freese rather than throw a bone to Turner, the USA’s No. 1 in 2022. Freese is still relatively green at the highest level, and he just posted the USA’s first clean sheet in 11 tries. Freeman, who scored the Americans’ second goal against the Aussies, is only 21, a physical freak, and seems to get better with each passing game. Surely he can go again if asked. It’s more difficult to make an argument for almost anyone else. In addition to giving the first string more time to recover, playing the understudies would boost morale — especially if they can beat an already eliminated opponent —inside a group that is already clearly flying high. After the U.S. routed two-time World Cup champion Uruguay last November with a lineup that included just three players (Dest, Freeman and Freese) who have started at this World Cup, Pochettino bristled at the notion that this team has “regulars” at all. Yet the fact remains that it’s almost impossible to dole out minutes to everyone at a World Cup, especially since FIFA increased roster sizes to 26 (from 23) four years ago. Pochettino has just been given that luxury. Expect him to take it against Türkiye.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports